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Itinerary for Feb 16 — Feb 28, 2014

Description: Nestled in south beach, the oceanfront South Seas Hotel in Miami Beach is a boutique hideaway in an A-list location. The hotels décor is a mix of style and understatement blending mid-century Miami Beach modernism with an array of contemporary features. Tropical bougainvillea frame a sweeping entranceway and vintage photographs cataloguing Miami’s social history, are featured throughout the building. With the quaint boutique shops of Lincoln Road Mall and Ocean Drive, outdoor café’s, and top notch restaurants, the South Seas places you in the center of it all.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: Special Rate May ApplyPlease contact the South Seas Hotel directly from 9 am - 5 pm EST at 1-800-345-2678 for pre or post program nights. Please tell them you are with the Road Scholar group. Depending on availability a special rate may be available

Program Registration: After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar desk in the lobby to pick up your arrival packet containing your name tag, the up-to-date schedule, and to confirm the time of the orientation session.

Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: Our dinner at the hotel is a plated, three-course meal with soup or salad, choice of entrée, dessert, and beverage.

Evening: Orientation: The Group Leader will greet you with a warm welcome and introduce everyone. We will review the up-to-date daily schedule and any changes, discuss responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have.

Take the rest of the evening to settle in, relax, and prepare for the full day ahead.

Description: Nestled in south beach, the oceanfront South Seas Hotel in Miami Beach is a boutique hideaway in an A-list location. The hotels décor is a mix of style and understatement blending mid-century Miami Beach modernism with an array of contemporary features. Tropical bougainvillea frame a sweeping entranceway and vintage photographs cataloguing Miami’s social history, are featured throughout the building. With the quaint boutique shops of Lincoln Road Mall and Ocean Drive, outdoor café’s, and top notch restaurants, the South Seas places you in the center of it all.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: Special Rate May ApplyPlease contact the South Seas Hotel directly from 9 am - 5 pm EST at 1-800-345-2678 for pre or post program nights. Please tell them you are with the Road Scholar group. Depending on availability a special rate may be available

Check in time: 3:00 PM

Day Two: Monday, February 17 - South Beach Art Deco District / New World Symphon...

Morning: Enjoy a leisurely guided walk around the famous South Beach Art Deco District, the first 20th-century neighborhood to be recognized by the National Register of Historic Places with 800 structures of historical significance, most built between 1923 and 1943. Your guide, a historian and preservationist, will point out many of the bright pastel buildings with sleek curves, shiny chrome, and relief ornamentation featuring whimsical flora, fauna, and ocean-liner motifs.

Lunch: Lunch is at Puerto Sagua, a casual Cuban diner where locals gather atop barstools around the breakfast counter. Puerto Sagua is one of a few old classic restaurants left in South Beach.

Afternoon: Enjoy a behind the scenes excursion at Symphony Hall and explore Frank Gehry’s only Florida commission, a cornerstone of artistic activity at the intersection of architecture and music.

Description: Nestled in south beach, the oceanfront South Seas Hotel in Miami Beach is a boutique hideaway in an A-list location. The hotels décor is a mix of style and understatement blending mid-century Miami Beach modernism with an array of contemporary features. Tropical bougainvillea frame a sweeping entranceway and vintage photographs cataloguing Miami’s social history, are featured throughout the building. With the quaint boutique shops of Lincoln Road Mall and Ocean Drive, outdoor café’s, and top notch restaurants, the South Seas places you in the center of it all.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: Special Rate May ApplyPlease contact the South Seas Hotel directly from 9 am - 5 pm EST at 1-800-345-2678 for pre or post program nights. Please tell them you are with the Road Scholar group. Depending on availability a special rate may be available

Morning: Board our motor coach for a guided drive around Miami. The guide will point out some of the most significant highlights, enlivened by lush vegetation and beautiful flowers this time of the year. Stops include sites in Coconut Grove and Coral Gables before heading back to Miami Beach.

Lunch: Lunch at the hotel

Afternoon: After lunch, our expert will discuss Miami Beach's fascinating contribution to WWII from 1942 to 1945. Nearly 500,000 men, including matinee-idol Clark Gable, took over 300 hotels and buildings for housing and training headquarters. By the time the war ended, one-fourth of all Army Air Force officers and one-fifth of the Air Corps' enlisted men had been trained in "the most beautiful boot camp in America'' -- Miami Beach.

Description: Nestled in south beach, the oceanfront South Seas Hotel in Miami Beach is a boutique hideaway in an A-list location. The hotels décor is a mix of style and understatement blending mid-century Miami Beach modernism with an array of contemporary features. Tropical bougainvillea frame a sweeping entranceway and vintage photographs cataloguing Miami’s social history, are featured throughout the building. With the quaint boutique shops of Lincoln Road Mall and Ocean Drive, outdoor café’s, and top notch restaurants, the South Seas places you in the center of it all.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: Special Rate May ApplyPlease contact the South Seas Hotel directly from 9 am - 5 pm EST at 1-800-345-2678 for pre or post program nights. Please tell them you are with the Road Scholar group. Depending on availability a special rate may be available

Lunch: Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, made famous by the movie “Forrest Gump” -- a Road Scholar favorite! After lunch we take the coach back to the hotel.

Afternoon: After lunch return to the hotel for a lecture on Henry Flagler and the Overseas Railroad. One of Miami's premier historians, Seth Bramson, will share the greatest railroad story ever told, setting the stage for the next leg of our journey. Henry Flagler became immensely wealthy as a partner with John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil during the Gilded Age. He visited Florida while seeking a salubrious climate for his ailing wife in the late 1870s and later returned to build and develop resort hotels and railroads along the east coast of the state all the way to Miami. His vision extended even further, to the Keys. The construction of his train line was almost as challenging as the Panama Canal, and the finished product became known as the Overseas Railroad.

Dinner: Dinner on your own.

Evening: Free Evening. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and experience more of what Miami Beach has to offer. Your Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Description: Nestled in south beach, the oceanfront South Seas Hotel in Miami Beach is a boutique hideaway in an A-list location. The hotels décor is a mix of style and understatement blending mid-century Miami Beach modernism with an array of contemporary features. Tropical bougainvillea frame a sweeping entranceway and vintage photographs cataloguing Miami’s social history, are featured throughout the building. With the quaint boutique shops of Lincoln Road Mall and Ocean Drive, outdoor café’s, and top notch restaurants, the South Seas places you in the center of it all.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights before: Special Rate May ApplyPlease contact the South Seas Hotel directly from 9 am - 5 pm EST at 1-800-345-2678 for pre or post program nights. Please tell them you are with the Road Scholar group. Depending on availability a special rate may be available

Morning: Little Havana. Led by a local guide, we will walk to see and learn about the history, culture, and people. Many cultures have characteristic games and in Little Havana, it's dominoes. We will begin our guided walk watching the locals play at Maximo Gomez Park/Domino Park. Along the way, we will stop for Cuban coffee and other delights before departing for Vizcaya.

Lunch: Lunch at the Vizcaya Cafe.

Afternoon: Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. One of South Florida's treasures, Vizcaya is a National Historic Landmark. Enjoy a docent-led walk through the home and impressive formal gardens to glimpse an era of Miami that has long since passed. Industrialist James Deering built this luxurious estate as a winter residence in 1916, employing almost a tenth of Miami’s population for its construction.

Morning: Check out of the hotel and board the motorcoach for our transfer to Key Largo.

Fairchild Tropical Gardens. Behind its seemingly natural beauty, Fairfield Tropical Gardens is a carefully designed blend of art and science. We will take a tram ride followed by some free time to wander through the gardens, watch the birds, or just sit and relax.

Lunch: Enjoy a picnic at the Fairchild Tropical Gardens.

Afternoon: Reboarding the motorcoach, we arrive in the afternoon at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. At the welcome center, you will have time to explore the amphitheater and browse videos and aquariums. This was the first undersea park created in the U.S. in 1963 It encompasses 178 nautical square miles of coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove swamps.

Upon arrival in Key Largo, we will check in to the hotel with some time to relax before dinner.

Dinner: Our dinner buffet at the hotel offers a variety of tasty choices.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Day Seven: Saturday, February 22 - Henry Flagler and the Overseas Railroad, Part II

Breakfast: You will receive a voucher for the hotel’s breakfast buffet that includes hot and cold items including fresh fruit.

Morning: Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park. Formed of Key Largo limestone, fossilized coral, this land was sold to the Florida East Coast Railroad, which used the stone to build Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad in the early 1900s. Walk along eight-foot-high quarry walls to see cross sections of the ancient coral and learn about the quarry and its operation.

Lunch: Enjoy a picnic lunch.

Afternoon: Pigeon Key. We take the ferry to this island where we will explore its historic buildings. In the early 1900s, Pigeon Key housed 400 workers who built the Overseas Railroad. While these workers built many bridges along the route through the lower keys, the Seven Mile Bridge remains the largest and most impressive component of what was once referred to as "the 8th Wonder of the World."

Description: A National Historic Landmark in the heart of Old Key West, the Crowne Plaza Key West - La Concha exudes history and luxury. From its elegant atrium-style lobby to its playful sunset rooftop, this classic Key West hotel offers a unique mix of vintage charm and modern chic. Since 1926, this iconic hotel has been embracing guests like Ernest Hemmingway, Tennessee Williams and Harry S. Truman with passionate hospitality and extraordinary service that has made this a landmark hotel and international retreat on Duval Street.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights after: TBDTBD

Check out time: 11:00 AM

Day Eight: Sunday, February 23 - Dolphins and Turtles

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Dolphin Research Center. Through education, research, and rescue, the Dolphin Research Center promotes peaceful coexistence, cooperation, and communication between marine mammals, humans and the environment. Some of the resident Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions were born here; some came from other facilities or were rescued, rehabilitated, deemed unreleasable back into the wild government and now have a home for life.

Lunch: At a local Key Largo restaurant.

Afternoon: The Turtle Hospital. Housed in a modest building in Marathon, The Turtle Hospital has an important mission: rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing different species of Sea Turtles. We will have a guided exploration of the facilities including the rehabilitation area and a presentation on sea turtles. You may even have an opportunity to feed the permanent residents!
After the field trip, we ride on to Key West and check into our hotel with some time to freshen up before dinner.

Dinner: Our dinner at the hotel is a plated, three-course meal with soup or salad, choice of entrée, dessert, and beverage.

Evening: Orientation to Key West. A briefing in the meeting room sets the stage for our activities here.

Description: A National Historic Landmark in the heart of Old Key West, the Crowne Plaza Key West - La Concha exudes history and luxury. From its elegant atrium-style lobby to its playful sunset rooftop, this classic Key West hotel offers a unique mix of vintage charm and modern chic. Since 1926, this iconic hotel has been embracing guests like Ernest Hemmingway, Tennessee Williams and Harry S. Truman with passionate hospitality and extraordinary service that has made this a landmark hotel and international retreat on Duval Street.

Morning: Lecture: Harry Truman and the Little White House. Bob Wolz, our Truman expert, will tell you all about the President’s days in Key West and what came to be known as The Little White House. Florida’s only Presidential site, the Harry S. Truman Little White House was constructed in 1890 as housing for naval officers. Its most important usage was as President Truman’s winter White House from 1946-1952.

Field Trip: Custom House Museum. This living link to Key West’s historic past was built in 1891 to house the island’s customs office, postal service, and district courts. “Old 91” is now the headquarters of the Key West Art and Historical Society that maintains a collection of artifacts and art significant to the Florida Keys. A docent will lead us through this amazing space.

Excursion: Key West By Trolley. During an hour long, narrated trip see why this island that is only four miles long and two miles wide is such a fascinating place.

Lunch: Lunch today is out at a local favorite: Salute! on the Beach

Afternoon: Field Trip and Lecture: Visit the West Martello Tower -- a former Civil War fort and National Historic Site that is now the home of the Key West Garden Club with beautiful grounds. The President of the Key West Garden Club will guide you through the gardens and share the history of the tower.

Dinner: We will dine out at a local restaurant.

Evening: Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square Dock. Here, watching the sun go down is a daily ritual. Even more, it’s a festival with arts and crafts exhibitors, street performers, vendors, and a crowd of thousands consisting of locals and visitors alike. People begin gathering about two hours before sunset for this multi-cultural “happening” that embodies the spirit of Key West.

Take the rest of the evening to ramble along with new Road Scholar friends and observe fascinating of the bohemian "people parade" that is unlike anywhere else.

Description: A National Historic Landmark in the heart of Old Key West, the Crowne Plaza Key West - La Concha exudes history and luxury. From its elegant atrium-style lobby to its playful sunset rooftop, this classic Key West hotel offers a unique mix of vintage charm and modern chic. Since 1926, this iconic hotel has been embracing guests like Ernest Hemmingway, Tennessee Williams and Harry S. Truman with passionate hospitality and extraordinary service that has made this a landmark hotel and international retreat on Duval Street.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights after: TBDTBD

Check out time: 11:00 AM

Day Ten: Tuesday, February 25 - Guided Old Town walk / Hemingway House

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Enjoy a guided walk around Old Town.

Lunch: Lunch at the Six-Toed Cat. The name of the restaurant was inspired by denizens of our next destination, the Hemingway House and Museum.

Afternoon: Hemingway House. A docent will lead us through former residence of one of America’s iconic writers, whose personal life was a colorful as any of his characters. Ernest Hemingway first visited Key West in 1928, arriving from Havana. Learn about the lives and times in Key West of Hemingway, his wife Pauline, and the house itself. Personal touches are everywhere throughout the house, from European antiques to trophies and skins that were the legacy of African safaris. It was here that Hemingway produced some of his best known works including “To Have And Have Not” set in Key West. Descendants of his six-toed cat abound.

Take the rest of the afternoon to enjoy the beach, pool, or sit under a palm tree with a good book.

Dinner: Dinner this evening is on your own to enjoy the cuisine of your choice.

Evening: Free Evening. Continue your personal independent exploration and experience more of what Key West has to offer. Your Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Description: A National Historic Landmark in the heart of Old Key West, the Crowne Plaza Key West - La Concha exudes history and luxury. From its elegant atrium-style lobby to its playful sunset rooftop, this classic Key West hotel offers a unique mix of vintage charm and modern chic. Since 1926, this iconic hotel has been embracing guests like Ernest Hemmingway, Tennessee Williams and Harry S. Truman with passionate hospitality and extraordinary service that has made this a landmark hotel and international retreat on Duval Street.

Smoking policy: NoSmoking policies vary by facility. During all group events and activities, smoking is prohibited.

Elevator: Yes

Additional nights after: TBDTBD

Check out time: 11:00 AM

Day Eleven: Wednesday, February 26 - Treasures and Stories of the Deep / Florida Keys ...

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Meet and hear from our favorite deep sea diver who will delight you with tales of his many years of fishing and diving in these waters and show his antique bottle collection.

Lunch: At the hotel.

Afternoon: Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center. Part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the Eco-Discovery Center features more than 6,000 square feet of interactive and dynamic exhibits including a mock-up of Aquarius, the world's only underwater ocean laboratory. Colorful exterior artwork depicts the deep sea, coral reef, and mangrove shoreline. Here we will learn about native plants and animals of the Keys, marine and terrestrial, for increased awareness and appreciation of the need to protect and conserve South Florida’s ecosystem.

Description: A National Historic Landmark in the heart of Old Key West, the Crowne Plaza Key West - La Concha exudes history and luxury. From its elegant atrium-style lobby to its playful sunset rooftop, this classic Key West hotel offers a unique mix of vintage charm and modern chic. Since 1926, this iconic hotel has been embracing guests like Ernest Hemmingway, Tennessee Williams and Harry S. Truman with passionate hospitality and extraordinary service that has made this a landmark hotel and international retreat on Duval Street.

Morning: Free Morning. Take this opportunity to explore more of Key West on your own. You might choose to visit the Maritime Museum, Fort Zachary Park, the Audubon House, or the USCGC “Ingham” -- one of only two preserved Treasury class U.S. Coast Guard cutters.

Lunch: Enjoy the cuisine of your choice as you dine out on your own.

Afternoon: The Little White House. President Truman’s first 19 months were grueling and left him physically exhausted. His doctor ordered a warm vacation and Key West was chosen. The President and Mrs. Truman arrived in November 1946 for a week of relaxation. He fell in love with the climate and small town charm, returning to what became known as the Little White House for 11 presidential working vacations and five post-Presidential trips after leaving office. Truman claimed Key West was his second favorite place on earth -- surpassed only by his hometown, Independence, MO.

Dinner: Enjoy a farewell dinner at the hotel with good company and good food.

Evening: Linger over converations with new Road Scholar friends and prepare for departure in the morning.

Day Thirteen: Friday, February 28 - Return to Miami Beach, Program Concludes

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Check-out of the hotel in time to be aboard the motorcoach for departure to Miami at 8:30am.

Lunch: You will have a box lunch to take with you on the bus.

Afternoon: Drop-off at Miami International Airport is estimated to be by approximately 12:30pm (depending on traffic), concluding the program.

We advise booking onward flights or other travel plans for no earlier than 3:00pm.

We hope you have enjoyed this Road Scholar learning adventure and look forward to having you on other programs in the future. Please stay in touch and share your memories, pictures, and comments via the Road Scholar Social Network. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Free Time Opportunities

Miami Beach, Florida

Bass Museum of ArtThe exhibitions at the Bass present art in dynamic conversations spanning time, history and cultures. Their collection of Antiquities, Renaissance and Baroque art anchors exhibitions, educational programs and scholarship, exploring the connections between their historical collections and contemporary art.
For additional information, visit: http://www.bassmuseum.org/

The History Miami MuseumAccredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) in 1979, The History Miami Museum is one of the largest private, regional history museums in the state. It offers exhibitions that appeal to a wide audience interested in the South Florida and the Caribbean community, while at the same time engaging residents and tourists alike.For additional information, visit: www.historymiami.org/

Key West

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State ParkDesignated a National Historic Landmark in 1973, Florida's southernmost state park is popular for recreation, as well as U.S. military history. The fort was one of a series built in the mid-1800s to defend the nation's southeastern coastline. Completed in 1866, Fort Zachary Taylor played important roles in the Civil War and Spanish-American War. Guided tours of the fort are available daily.
For additional information, visit: http://www.floridastateparks.org/forttaylor/

Key West Butterfly & Nature ConservatoryWalk through a magical and inviting environment filled with hundred of the most beautiful winged creatures in nature. During your breathtaking journey you will experience an impressive collection of flowering plants, colorful birds, cascading waterfalls and trees that set the stage for the "flowers of the sky." Witness a variety of some 50 to 60 butterfly species from around the world, along with over 20 exotic bird species, all under a climate- controlled, glass enclosed habitat.
For additional information, visit: http://www.keywestbutterfly.com/

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Ingham Maritime MuseumU.S. COAST GUARD CUTTER INGHAM (WPG-35) Maritime Museum & National Historic Landmark is both a military history museum and a National Memorial to Guardians Killed in Action In World War II and Vietnam. With over 50 years of service around the work, USCGC INGHAM is a quintessential portrait of Coast Guard history from 1936 to 1988.For additional information, visit: http://www.uscgcingham.org/

Important information about your itinerary: Please know that while we do everything we can to finalize all aspects of our programs well in advance, there are logistics that occasionally must be altered. Our website will reflect the most recent information, and we are committed to providing you with final program details no later than eight weeks prior to the start of programs outside the U.S. and three weeks prior to the start of programs within the U.S. If you ever have questions about your program, please don't hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

Need Help?

The latest in light, portable, easy-to-use QUIETVOX listening devices are available on Road Scholar programs.* Whether you are outdoors, in a crowd or in a museum environment where speaking loudly is discouraged, a listening device makes it feel like our experts are speaking clearly and directly to you. Hear for yourself on a Road Scholar adventure!

*Please note that due to the nature of some programs, the remote location or government regulations, listening devices may not be available. If you’d like to know for sure if your program will offer listening devices, just call and ask an Advisor!